Stanford
King Center on Global Development Global Development

Journeys of Inquiry (JOI)

The King Center invites proposals from Stanford faculty interested in developing and leading summer undergraduate trips to low- and middle-income countries relevant to global development and poverty. 

Knowledge and context regarding how people live—their daily challenges and opportunities—makes for both good research and good policy. With in-depth knowledge and context, both the researcher and policymaker can ask and answer more cogent questions and design more effective solutions to real problems. 

The Journeys of Inquiry program trips provide an opportunity for Stanford undergraduate students to experience different societies and cultures as part of short programs led by King Center on Global Development faculty and affiliates. These programs, which typically run for approximately two weeks, take place during the summer quarter and provide opportunities to highly motivated students for experiential learning and conducting research in low- and middle-income countries. 

Past trip locations have included Colombia, China, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Objectives of the Trip:

  • The focus of the trip must be centered on issues around global poverty and development.
  • The trip should provide students with an intensive, in-depth academic experience with a faculty member or affiliate of the Stanford King Center on Global Development.
  • Trip content should be academically rigorous, but general enough to be accessible to a range of undergraduate students (across years and majors).
  • The trip does not need to be tied to a class, but for trips linked to a class, support for curricular enhancement, e.g., a speaker or a relevant local event, may be possible.

Faculty Proposals: 

If you have an idea for a trip and would like to discuss it, please reach out to King Center Executive Director Jessica Leino (jleino@stanford.edu) or submit your proposal via email by Sunday, November 3, 2024 for priority consideration.

Prospective trip leaders should submit a proposal at least six months in advance of the proposed trip. Ideally Journey of Inquiry proposals are finalized by fall quarter to allow enough time for trip planning and so that student participants can be selected in winter quarter.  

Faculty proposals should include the following: 

  • Overview: 
    • A description of and itinerary for the program, including location, duration, focus, and other pertinent information.
  • Academics: 
    • A description of the academic goals of the program, including student learning goals, how the program is structured to achieve these goals, and how students will prepare or should be prepared.
    • Information about the teaching team, e.g., trip leader and graduate student and their experience or knowledge of the location(s).
    • Information about the location(s) and the anticipated daily academic content.
  • Students: 
    • Details including the number of students, and the types of students to be recruited, e.g., if there are any prerequisites or necessary experience.
  • Process: 
    • The selection process for students, should the trip leader be administering it, and/or whether the trip leader requests assistance from King Center staff in managing this process.  The selection process is ideally conducted during winter quarter.
  • Budget: 
    • Costs requested to be covered by this program and covered by other sources, including travel costs for the trip leader and all participants.
    • A stipend for a graduate student trip leader, if applicable.
    • Costs for Stanford- or King Center-branded tokens of appreciation, such as t-shirts, pens, caps, or notebooks, if the trip includes high-level meetings, e.g., with government or administration officials, and business leaders.
    • Support for any curricular enhancement, e.g., a speaker or a relevant, local event, for a trip linked to a class.
  • Contingency Plan:
    • Should the trip need to be canceled at the last moment, explain how experiential learning may still occur for those participants selected to take part in the JoI.

Logistics:

  • The trip should take place at the beginning or end of the summer quarter and last approximately ten days to two weeks depending on location and program.
  • The location should tie to the academic expertise of the leader or should be a location about which s/he is very knowledgeable.
  • Per the university’s International Travel Policy, travel to any country, region, or location within a country with U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories levels 3 or 4 cannot be supported.
  • All travelers – faculty and students – must comply with Stanford University business travel policies. 
  • The King Center will provide additional  financial guidelines for Journeys of Inquiry trips, including a budget based on location, in accordance with Stanford’s Dean of Research policies.  

Participant Roles:

Trip leaders:

  • Priority to lead a trip will be given to faculty affiliates of the Stanford King Center.
  • Trip leader travel expenses will be covered.
  • Supplemental salary compensation will be provided to trip leaders.
  • The trip leader may, in consultation with the King Center, hire a graduate student to assist with the trip. The graduate student is expected to provide administrative, logistical, and academic support to the trip leader both prior to and during the program and to accompany the students on all activities during the trip.

Student participants:

  • Student attendees can be undergraduates  from any university discipline.
  • Journey of Inquiry trips should accommodate approximately ten to 15 students.
  • The King Center is able to assist with the student selection process, if desired.
  • Students will receive a stipend to cover meals, accommodations, and airfare if the King Center does not cover them directly. Visa and immunization costs, as well as incidental personal expenses, will not be covered directly.

King Center staff:

  • King Center programs staff will assist  with trip logistics/preparation.
  • The King Center will collect student applications and are available to assist in student participant interviews if requested.
  • The King Center will coordinate an orientation session for all participants with  Risk Management and Vaden Travel Staff.
  • The King Center will assist with student visa applications if necessary.
  • The King Center will collect student documentation, reports, photos/videos, and letters for donors.

Trip Selection Criteria: 

Proposals will be reviewed by King Center staff, faculty director, and executive director. Successful proposals will:

  • Provide academic opportunities that focus on global poverty and development in an international location.
  • Articulate clear student learning goals.
  • Reflect faculty and/or teaching team experience and knowledge of the location(s).
  • Reflect a high level of engagement between the faculty and students.
  • Provide immersive, learning experiences in low- and middle-income countries and cultures that are typically unfamiliar to students.
  • Reflect an opportunity for students that would not otherwise be possible without this program.
  • Be to countries and locations within countries that are eligible for .

Student Applications: 

Please see the student JoI page. 

Questions?

Please contact the King Center at kingcenter_programs@stanford.edu with any questions.